It becomes clearer by the day that we need a whole new comprehensive FEDERAL HATE CRIME law.

[Union Yes]

This time let's get it right.

Politically motivated hate crimes are on the rise.

The latest victim found dead and hanging with the word "FEDS" carved into his chest.

A gruesome and evil act motivated by political hatred.

Clearly this is an attempt to intimidate the political left.

Of course, Rush and Beck would go ballistic fighting against this. They believe it's the Reich Wings god given right to use violence if necessary to harass and intimidate the left. They call for it on a near daily basis on their hate shows.

And it is time to add America's fastest growing minority group to existing federal hate crimes laws.

Atheists.

Government is failing to do it's job at protecting the people.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. It's getting worse -

First, the cause of the man's death has yet to be established and/or made public.

Next, the word "Fed" was NOT "carved into his chest." Every account I read said it was written on his shirt.

Finally, there is absolutely NO evidence, and none has been reported, to sustain any of the fantasies you list.

The urge to run and make more laws is reminiscent of the Bush II era. That syndrome has brought us more than our share of hideous laws.

This kind of hysteria is just laughable. Get your facts straight and then wait and see what really happened. So far, no one knows..............................

[stuball111]

4. This is all I could find, huffpost is fairly credible I think...

The article did say that it is an "apparent homicide". The Feds are involved, so there might be something fishy as the guy was a federal employee. And the article did say the "fed" thing was "on his chest" not shirt, although this is subject to interpretation.

I do agree with you that jumping to conclusions is not cool. I have seen some pretty conclusive posts on here about Bachman and some people seem to have the case solved. Let's see what develops in the next few days. But I am sure it won't be good whatever the outcome. The main thing is, some poor guy, and a nice guy by all accounts has lost his life.


http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/09/census-worker-found-hanged/(edit: found another one)


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/23/census-worker-hanged-with_n_297114.html

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. The phrase "apparent homicide"

is meaningless. It's like "person of interest" - it has no legal meaning, and all it tells us is that some one - and we don't know who - thinks it might be a homicide. Way too conditional to be meaningful.

The Feds are involved because he's a Federal worker.

Yes, the placement of "Fed" is open to interpretation, but nowhere was it written that it was "carved." That's out of someone's thin air.

Yes, too, a man is dead. His co-workers liked him. Beyond that, we know nothing about his character, what kind of person he was. If he was divorced - and I don't know that he was - there is an ex-wife who might not think he was that nice.

And how or why he died is not known.

The rush to attribute this to Beck and Bachman is depressing. That level of stupidity belongs on freerepublic - I want DU to be better than that.................................

[stuball111]

7. And I agree...

I've seen some pretty stupid shit here, and it makes DU look bad. It did say that they weren't sure what "instrument wrote" the word on his chest. I agree that some have concluded that it was carved in his chest, which is stupid, and like you, will not conclude anything until the facts come out. And who knows, maybe his wife died tragically, from lack of health care coverage? We don't know do we?

[emilyg]

2. We don't know why this man was killed.

[Forkboy]

3. I'll pass on more emotion driven laws. The Patriot Act was enough for me.

[anigbrowl]

6. +1 Hard cases make bad law

And as pointed out, this case is far from solved. Mr Sparkman's death will already attract significant extra penalties if it's a murder because he was a federal worker apparently killed in the course of his duties. No special legislation necessary, this situation is already catered for in the law.

[Obamanaut]

8. No we don't. There are ample laws regarding murder/homicide/

manslaughter/wrongful death/etc. Making another one with enhanced penalties as a hate crime will not make the victim any less dead.

edited for spelling

[Vickers]

9. "Clearly this is an attempt to intimidate the political left."

Really?

:shrug:

I must've missed something...

[AsahinaKimi]

10. self delete

nevermind.